1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a liquid containing member that can contain a liquid having a precipitating component.
2. Related Art
Inkjet printers have been known as an example of a liquid consuming apparatus that consumes a liquid (e.g., ink) having a precipitating component (e.g., pigment) by ejecting it from a liquid ejecting portion that can eject a liquid. In such printers, a liquid containing member (e.g., ink cartridge) including a liquid containing portion (e.g., ink pack (liquid bag)) that can contain a liquid is contained inside a printer casing, and a liquid is supplied from the liquid containing member contained inside the casing to the liquid ejecting portion.
This liquid containing member is provided with a liquid supply port through which a liquid contained in the liquid containing portion is supplied to the liquid ejecting portion. The liquid supplied from the liquid supply port to the liquid ejecting portion has to be controlled such that a change in the concentration of the precipitating component is suppressed. The reason for this is that, if the concentration of the precipitating component in the liquid supplied from the liquid supply port is non-uniform, a liquid having a uniform concentration may not be ejected from the liquid ejecting portion. In this case, for example, when ejecting the liquid from the liquid ejecting portion onto paper and printing an image or the like thereon, the density of the printed image changes, resulting in a deterioration in the printing quality.
Thus, in a liquid containing member in a related art, a liquid supply port (liquid discharge portion) is disposed at the center in the vertical direction of a liquid containing portion (ink pack), and liquid sucking portions (liquid sucking channels) that can suck a liquid (ink) are provided respectively at an upper portion on the anti-gravity direction side and a lower portion on the gravity direction side of the liquid supply port. If a liquid having a high concentration of the precipitating component and a liquid having a low concentration of the precipitating component are respectively sucked by the provided liquid sucking portions and mixed thereby, a liquid (ink) having a uniform concentration of the precipitating component is discharged from the liquid containing member (see JP-A-2008-87486, for example).
However, according to the liquid containing member in the related art, both the two liquid sucking portions provided at the upper and lower portions are positioned at the center in the vertical direction of the liquid containing portion, and thus, in the liquid containing portion, a liquid in the vicinity of the center near the liquid sucking portions is easily sucked out, whereas a liquid at the lower end on the gravity direction side or at the upper end on the anti-gravity direction side, far from the liquid sucking portions, is not easily sucked out. Accordingly, liquids having different concentrations tend to remain in the liquid containing portion, causing a problem that it becomes harder to supply (discharge) a liquid having a uniform concentration from the liquid containing member in accordance with the progress of the consumption of liquid.
Note that such a situation is substantially shared by liquid containing members, including a liquid containing portion that can contain a liquid having a precipitating component, and a liquid supply port for supplying the liquid contained in the liquid containing portion to a liquid ejecting portion.